Block transfers of information in data processing networks
US4445176A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 1979 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/122
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Secondary storage subsystems exchange messages and data with host data processing systems and also forward messages between host systems. Host systems thereby communicate with each other in addition to having access to data in subsystem storage. Access to subsystem storage is initiated by a "request" sent from a host to the subsystem. Each request is a message containing an array of one or more commands, each command specifying a transfer of data or a control function to be performed by the subsystem. A subsystem may process more than one request at a time. It also may process the commands in a request in an arbitrary sequence suited to the availability of subsystem resources and data links to host systems. After all commands in a request have been processed the subsystem transmits an associated "completion" message to the host system which originated the request. The completion message indicates the status of completion or abnormal termination of each command in the associated request. An "adapter" processor associated with each host and subsystem operates on an asynchronous basis to transfer messages and data relative to the associated host or subsystem. One or more processing "e…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.